Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Priya Kurian & Debashish MunshiFaith has often been seen as a point of
divide between religion and science. While those with religious affiliations or
affinities are guided by their faith in a spiritual being or beings to resolve
social, cultural, economic, and even political issues, those on the side of
science insist on proofs rather than mere conviction.

What then about faith in science and
technology to solve every conceivable problem? Dubbed ‘the arrogance of
humanism’ by Rutgers University professor of ecology David Ehrenfeld in an
influential book by that title, such a humanistic faith in science, technology
and reason is seen to underpin the ecological crisis the planet faces today. Humanism,
according to Ehrenfeld, is “our irrational faith in the limitless power of
human reason – its ability to confront and solve the many problems that humans
face, its ability to rearrange both the world of Nature and the affairs of men
and women so that human life will prosper.”

Transhumanism takes that faith to a new
level. Indeed, it is the extreme faith in technological solutions and the
ability of science to lead the planet to eternal bliss that defines
transhumanism. Inspired no doubt by science fiction, transhumanists have long
espoused the need to technologically deal with the challenges of life such as death, decay, and disease. They
stand steadfastly in their faith in biotechnology, nanotechnology, artificial
intelligence, or any new technology capable of facilitating human enhancement.

Yet, the faith transhumanists subscribe
to is not the only kind of faith in science. In a forthcoming article in PublicUnderstanding of Science, John H. Evans of the University of California,
San Diego, identifies at least three kinds of faith in science that people hold
and goes on to discuss the implications of these types of faith on
transhumanism. The data for Evans’ research comes from public opinion surveys
conducted in 12 countries.

The three levels of faith Evans talks
about are the faith in science to “provide meaning for society”; to
“effectively solve any problem”; and “to solve problems in the physical world
with technology”. These levels of faith differ across a number of variables
such as age, education, financial status, education, and religious affiliation.

The exploration of the complex
relationship between religion and transhumanism is an interesting feature of
this article. At one level, religious people and transhumanists can be seen as
living at two ends of a pole. But what unifies them somewhat is their faith.
What Evans’ research shows is that religious people are least likely to adopt
transhumanist beliefs but that “is primarily true if [transhumanism] is based
upon a faith in science producing meaning”.

However, if transhumanism were to
become “a concrete solution to a consensual physical problem like human
health”, its beliefs could attract the support of the religious.

A lot of the debate on the
religion-science debate hinges on whether the belief system they represent are
defined “doctrinally or empirically”, says James Hughes in his Metanexus blog. Hughes
argues that transhumanism can be “compatible” with most world religions, and in
fact, “the religious landscape of the future will range from the current
prevailing bioconservative resistance to an enthusiastic embrace of transhuman
possibilities.”

A religious transhumanism then although seemingly a
contradiction in terms is perhaps not surprising bringing together as it does a
human capacity for faith—in religion, science or both.

About this Blog

This is the Public Understanding of Science journal's blog on science and society. The two of us running the blog are PRIYA KURIAN and DEBASHISH MUNSHI, both at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand.
We facilitate discussion on some of the exciting research published or forthcoming in PUS. But this blog is not just about PUS articles alone. It is a forum for all those engaged with doing and communicating science to discuss, debate, and deliberate on often contentious issues.
We welcome contributions on public engagement with contemporary issues around science and technology, including links to articles, news reports, photographs, video clips, and web sites.

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